1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting radiation and a munition incorporating the apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Advances in technology have led to improvements in the precision of guided munitions. However, as guidance systems have become more sophisticated, the need for even greater precision is apparent. As military targets are frequently found in civilian surroundings, highly precise guidance systems are required to destroy these military targets while minimizing collateral damage to the civilian surroundings. One approach to increasing the precision of guided munitions is through using a laser designator to illuminate the desired target. The laser signal reflected from the target propagates through a radome of the guided munition. A quadrant detector within the radome of the guided munition then guides the munition to maximize the reflected laser signal received from the illuminated target. Other types of guided munitions sense types of radiation other than light.
While such laser guided munitions have been in operation for quite some time, the radome/detector design limits the velocity of these guided munitions. In particular, many of the radome/detector designs include a hemispherical radome. The velocity of a guided munition having a hemispherical radome is limited due to the radome's aerodynamic drag. In an effort to reduce this aerodynamic drag, the use of more conic-shaped radomes has been attempted. However, this change in radome shape has created problems for the detector system used to guide the munition. For example, such conic-shaped radomes typically suffer from limited field of view and poor detection of small and/or distant targets. Some designs include windows or waveguides that must conform to the outer surface of the munition or radome. Such designs suffer from the same problems, however, as conic-shaped radomes.
There are many designs of apparatuses and methods for directing electromagnetic waves well known in the art, however, considerable shortcomings remain.